Means employed in closing the ends of lead l&#39;s by spinning.



P. N. DU 1301s, MEANS EMPLOYED INGLOSING THE ENDS OF LEAD LS BYSPINNING.

APPLIUATION FILED APR. 25, 1910.

Patented Dec. 20, 1910.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFCE.

FREDERICK N. DU BOIS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MEANS EMPLOYED IN CLOSING THE ENDS OF LEAD LS BY SPINNING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 20, 1910.

Application filed April 25, 1910. Serial N 0. 557,559.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK N. DU BOIS,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough ofManhattan, in the county, city, and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Means Employed in Closing theEnds of Lead Us by. Spinning, of which the following is a specification.

In Letters Patent 918,137 granted April 13, 1909, to W. A. Fleming,there is disclosed and claimed a pipe of ductile metal, such as lead,which is of an angular shape in longitudinal section with an over-spunclosed end. Prior to that invention it was customary to make suchangular pipes, called in practice, lead ells, with both ends open. Thereason for, and advantages resulting from, making the ells with closedends, are fully disclosed in the said patent and need not be describedherein. These ells can best be given their angular form While both endsare open, but it has not been easy thereafter to spin one end to closeit, because of difiiculty in providing a mandrel or forming surface thatcan be inserted to the proper position and then removed from the ellafter the end has been spun over.

In carrying out my invention I provide an improved mandrel which can bereadily inserted to position from either end of an ell both ends ofwhich are open, and then thehead expanded to cause it to fit tightly inthe ell with the face of the head a short distance back from the openend. Preferably an external clamp binds the pipe around the mandrel headto prevent expansion of that portion of the pipe. And preferably also,the end face of the head is convex so that when the portions of the pipeprojecting beyond the head are spun over said face, the resulting closedend of the ell will be somewhat dome-shaped. For producing the best results, the external clamp referred to is formed to be attached to alathe, as a chuck, so that the ell, mandrel, and clamp can be rotatedabout an axis coincident with the longitudinal center of the portion ofthe ell containing the mandrel head, the lathe having a tool rest forsupporting a spinning tool which may be brought to bear on theprojecting end of the pipe and spin it over on the face of the mandrelhead.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of partssubstantially as hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of thisspecification, Figure 1, illustrates the mandrel mounted in an ell, thelatter being shown in section, and supported in position for spinningthe end; Fig. 2, is a side view of the mandrel on a larger scale, thehead being partly in section, and the operating shaft being broken toreduce its length; Fig. 3, is a detail elevation of the external clampor chuck, looking from the right of Fig. 1; Fig. 1, is a detail sideview of one of the segments of the mandrel head, and Fig. 5, is an endView of the same.

In the several figures, like letters of reference are employed todesignate corresponding parts.

The mandrel comprises a head the face member of which consists of aplate 10, the outer surface of which is convex or domeshaped. The innersurface may have any form, but is shown as concave merely because it isconvenient to manufacture it of a plate which is of substantiallyuniform thickness. The diameter of the plate 10 is less than the innerdiameter of the pipe of which the ell is made, as indicated in Fig. 2 inwhich the pipe is represented by dotted lines. Projecting from thecenter of the concave side of the plate 10 is a fixed screw 11. Theperipheral portion of the head consists of a plurality of segments 12each of which has an inwardly projecting front ear 13, which ispreferably divided as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 5, and aninwardly projecting heel lt. Each segment is pivotally connected totheface plate 10 by a pintle 15 passing through the ear or cars 13 andthrough a lug 16, the base 17 of which is secured to the inner side ofthe plate 10 by screws 18. I do not limit myself to the precise pivotalconnections described, it being only essential that the segments shallbe so movable relatively to the face plate that when free to do so theymay move inwardly or toward the axis of the head so that the head as awhole may collapse sulficiently to enable it to be inserted into, andremoved from, operative position around the angular portion of the ellas presently described. The outer faces of the entire series of segmentsconstitute the periphery of the mandrel head, but said segments alsohave forming surfaces which, when expanded, constitute continuations ofthe convex forming face of the plate 10 so as to enable the proper formto be given to the end of the pipe which is spun down as hereinafterdescribed.

Mounted on the screw 11 is a sleeve 19 having a circular flange 20, theouter edge of which supports the heels 14L of the series of segments.The contacting surfaces of the flange and heels are cone-shaped so thatthe flange operates as a cam to act on all the segments simultaneouslyto expand them, and to simultaneously release them so they may collapseto reduce the size of the head, according to which way the sleeve 19 isrotated relatively to the screw 11.

Connected to the outer end of the sleeve 19 by a universal coupling 21is a shaft end 22 to which is connected one end of a flexible shaft 23which may be of the well known type embodying a chain and a plurality ofconcentrically arranged coils wound in opposite directions. Operativelyconnected to the outer end of the flexible shaft is a handle 2st.Obviously, this mandrel could be used to support an end portion of anypipe, longitudinally angular or not, so that any suitable tool or toolscould be used for bending in the extreme end of such pipe to give it aform corresponding to the form of the head. And of course the externalshape of the plate 10 and the movable segments need not be ust asillustrated in the drawings. This part of my invention, viz. themandrel, is however especially useful for the closing, by spinning. theends of lead ells. To cooperate with the head of the mandrel in holdingand rotating such an ell, I have devised a chuck which comprises atrough -shaped holder 25 having a spindle 2G to be rotated by the headstock of a lathe. A suitable lathe is represented somewhatconventionally in F 1. the pulleys for rotating the spindle and chuckbeing indicated at 27. A suitable coui'lterbalance 28 may be connectedwith the spindle to equalize the weight of the portion of the Q11 whichprojects later ally from the holder A cap or clamp 29 at the front endof the holder is preferably hinged thereto at 30 (see Fig. and securedin clamping position by a releasable bolt 31.

In operation the ell 32 holder 25 by the clamp head supporting the pipeagainst the pressure of the clamp. The flexible shaft 2?) enables thehead to be expanded or contracted. by the hand of the worker insertedthrough the other end of the ell and actuatingthe handle 24. One or morehooks 33 engaging the end of the ell which extends is secured in the 29,the mandrel laterally from the holder or chuck, and connccted with saidholder as indicated by dotted. lines in Fig. 1, may be employed tosecure the ell firmly in position so that it will not be dislodged bycentrifugal force when the chuck is rotated. A suitable spinning tool(not shown) may be supported by .a tool post 3-:l and brought to bearagainst 'the proper direction, withdraws the cam flange 20 from theheels of the segments suflicient-ly to permit the latter to collapse andpermit the mandrel to be removed in condition ready to be inserted inthe next ell; it being understood that the range of movement of the camflange 20 and the segments 12, when the latter are collapsed 6rexpanded, is made sntliciently great to permit of the easy and readypassage of the head around the angular portion of the ell when theremoval of the mandrel from and its insertion into it is desired.

Having now described my invent-ion, and specified certain of the ways inwhich it is or may be carried into effect, I claim 1. A mandrel for usein closing the ends of clls by spinning, comprising a head which isconstructed with an exterior forming surface and an interior adjustingmember secured to and extending inward therefrom, a plurality ofradially movable segments arranged in relation to and movably connectedwith such surface, a movable cone-shaped flange for cooperating withsaid segments to force them outward in a radial direction and permit oftheir retiring in an opposite direction, a second adjusting member forcooperation with the first mentioned adjusting member, and a flexibleshaft connected with such second member whereby to operate it to causethis second member to expand said movable segments and permit of theircollapse as desired, substantially as described.

2. The combination in a mandrel for use in closing the ends of ells byspinning, with a head having a face plate, a screw projecting rearwardlytherefrom, and a plurality of radially movable segments pivotallyconnected to said plate, of a sleeve engaged with said screw and havinga flange provided with a cone-shaped periphery to engage with a portionof each of said segments, and a flexible shaft connected with saidsleeve to rotate it, substantially as described.

The combination with a rotatable trough-shaped holder, and a clamp toco-act therewith to externally grasp the pipe, of a mandrel having anexternally convex formmy hand in the presence of two witnesses ingsurface, radially movable segments opthis 19th day of Apil, 1910.

eratively connected With said surface means 1 i for spreading thesegments radially: and a FRLDERIOK DU B 5 flexible shaft operativelyconnected With VVit v said segment-spreading means. I THOMAS GANNON,

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set GRACE T. DIXON.

